France Books

The colorful book, Through Georgia's Eyes, was excellent. Georgia, a young girl, learns to paint and discovers she can be an artist despite what her siblings say. The bright illustrations portray Georgia's feelings. Strong in talent, she paints large flowers that make people "feel like real butterflies flitting through out the unvervise of her garden." Painting pictures in my head, the authors action words excited me. The story, super and wonderful, was entertaining. I would give it ***** stars. Jodilyn

Rachel Rodriguez and Julie Paschkis have teamed up beautifully and sensitively to glean the essence of Georgia O'Keeffe's life and paintings. Rodriguez writes almost in a haiku-like prose: simple yet distilling O'Keeffe's life and work to its heart and soul. The book should be a delight to children to read and be read to and encourage young and old alike to follow their dreams.

My sister recommended the book to me and I bought it for myself and all of my friends with children. Everyone loves it! The illustrations are beautiful and draw children into the story about Georgia O'Keeffe's life and accomplishments. It encourages children to be creative and value their individuality -- and naturally leads to conversations about the importance of seeing and appreciating the colors and beauty around us, taking pride in our individual talents, and exploring our creativity. I highly recommend this book. Buy it for your friends with children too. They'll appreciate it!

Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings have always captivated me. As a college student, I had a poster print of one of her paintings---a sinuous sandstone fissure---pressed on to a cheap foamboard backing, and toted it around from dormitory room to apartment to apartment until it was gouged and beaten up. Something about O'Keeffe's color palette, and her eye for natural lines of beauty, provoked within me a stillness even in unstill times.

Somehow Rachel Rodriguez and Julie Paschkis have succeeded in conveying the contemplative beauty at the heart of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings and life. The prose is spare and reflective, mimicking the cadences of the natural world: "A canyon calls her. From the bottom at dusk she sees a long line of cows above, black lace against a dusky sky." The illustrations, cut-paper collages, mate the vibrant intensity of O'Keeffe's artistic vision with the simplicity and wonder of a child's.

The first time I visited New Mexico and marveled at the quality of the light at daybreak and sunset, I couldn't help but wonder whether Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings had perfectly captured colors that are indescribable, or her paintings had so colored my perception that I saw the world through her eyes. This book brought a slice of that warm southwestern sunshine into my gray northwestern spring.

I highly recommend "Through Georgia's Eyes." It is simply enchanting.

This book is an outstanding resource for information about the war in general, but it also provides a different perspective from most accounts. It's very well written and easy to read. It is also the only first-hand account of the war from member of the 507th Parachute Infantry Division I know of.

The book itself starts off pretty much like any other paratrooper memoir. But it's interesting that most of the action takes place in the mid-western United States. I also enjoyed the information about the Texas 36th Infantry Division as it holds a special place in the Italian campaign. The author was a member of the 36th prior to transferring to the 507th.

However, what makes this book special is the author didn't see a tremendous amount of combat in Normandy, France. He was captured by the Germans and promptly sent to a POW camp. The majority of this book details how Bearden survived there, the ingenious ways they staved off hunger when they could, and how poorly treated the Americans were as prisoners of war.

Interestingly enough, he also writes about what happened when his camp was overrun by the Russians. The war wasn't over yet and he had a real issue figuring out where he was and what the best way to get back to the American side of things.

This starts a remarkable trip through central Europe ending in Moscow of all places. If this wasn't more confusing, to make things worse he's eventually captured and placed in a Russian POW camp and well, the rest is quite an interesting and brutal story.

I only enjoy reading soldiers accounts of D-Day in their "real words"-not technical history books (showing maps,etc.). This is a terrific account of a paratroopers D-Day jump and aftermate in a German Stalag. He talks about his buddies and the hardships they went thru to survive-a great storyteller. Bob was one real "tough texan" who gave his all...

This is a good first-person account of one American's adventures and escapades as he goes from being a member of the Texas National Guard in 1940 at the tender age of 17 to becoming several years later a (mortar) squad leader in the famous 82nd Airborne Division as a member of H Company, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

As a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, the author parachutes into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Unfortunately, at D-Day plus 2, he is captured, along with several others, including a Colonel, after being surrounded and running out of ammunition. (It is the Colonel who orders the men to surrender.)

The author then spends the next several months being shuttled to various German prisoner of war camps, finally ending up in one for American NCOs near the Oder River that is liberated by the Russians in their march toward Berlin. Although the author's experiences as a POW were traumatic, after liberation by the Russians he and his fellow prisoners were left to fend, and forage, for themselves, as the Russians were too intent on exacting revenge on the Germans to assist the freed prisoners.

Incredibly, the author, while simply trying to get back to his own troops, becomes a prisoner of war of the Soviets and then has to escape from a Soviet POW camp, fortunately making it back to his own troops and, eventually, home.

The book, despite its grim tales and subtext, is an enjoyable read as it is written in a first-hand, almost conversational style that makes you feel you are right there in the action. It is an excellent addition to the personal histories of World War II, especially from the perspective not just of the horror and chaos that was D-Day but from the unusual vantage point of someone who was a prisoner of war.

Thank you Bob Bearden for sharing your adventures during WWII. First person accounts of D-Day and WWII are very important for succeeding generations. I am afraid that there are many stories that will never be told because veterans put off recording them until it is too late. I have enjoyed reading your adventures and I feel much closer to understanding what occurred prior to and during WWII. I think that you did a terrific job and I hope it will inspire other veterans to get their stories published. Thanks again.

Transparency is Frances Hwang's debut collection of short stories. While her writing is a bit rough around the edges, there is no mistaking that she has a passion, and a talent, for telling the human story.

In many of Transparency's stories, the mechanics of writing are not that strong. Word choice is at times awkward, leaving the reader mystified (instead of surprised) by what the characters are doing. In several stories, the protagonist seems to be no different than in the previous story, and the reader wonders if there isn't really a novel lying beneath the surface of the collection.

The two notable exceptions to this weakness are the title story, Transparency, and the final story, "The Garden City." Here, the characters leap off the page and sear themselves into the reader's memory. Overall, these two short stories are far superior to the rest of the collection and will surely find their way into anthologies. These two stories are proof that we are being entertained by a writer of enormous talent, and I was left hoping that Hwang will continue writing.

Regardless of the mechanical weaknesses, the territory that Hwang covers in each of her stories is deep and rich and worth contemplating. As an entirety, this collection speaks to themes of identity and relationship. The reader ponders the connections between isolation and intimacy, family and friend, lover and stranger. The juxtaposition of generational gaps and generational ties is also beautifully laid out in this collection. Often, the backdrop to these themes is the tension between first- and second-generation immigrants and between Eastern and Western cultures.

Hwang's writing shows that she has the courage to write about the human story, even in its naked weakness. She does well writing about how life is instead of how it ought to be.

Armchair Interviews says: This book will leave you pondering some of the more meaningful and painful aspects of being a daughter, a friend, a lover, a stranger--of being human.

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (6/07)

Frances Hwang's "Transparency" will appeal to anyone who enjoys well-written and thoughtful glimpses of life. This wonderful collection of short stories is promoted as having a focus on the generational and cultural challenges of Chinese immigrants and their American-born children, but I found these insightful tales to be equally about the search for meaning and direction in all people's lives.

"Sonata for a Left Hand" was my favorite; a lovely presentation of our innate human need for connection and belonging. Other topics involve women negotiating life as best they can; and the younger generation's lack of idealism and search for meaning in their lives, often times thinking they are (or are trying their best to be) different from their parents, but not realizing that the values they were raised with tie them closer to their families than they realize. It was only when I was reminded that the characters were Chinese-American that I found myself paying attention to this cultural group, and in stories such as "The Modern Age" and "Transparency," the reader learns that cultural changes are not an easy thing for anyone, at any age. However, even these stories still spoke to me of common experiences between people, and families, beyond this one community.

Frances Hwang has a very relaxed style of writing. She eases you into her stories and they flow effortlessly along, and before you know it, you find yourself very anxious to learn what will happen next. She also never disappoints in providing realistic endings that encourage the reader to stop and think before continuing on. In "Transparency," Frances Hwang offers readers a diverse array of general, and Chinese-American, experiences as people make their way through modern life. I really enjoyed my time with this book.

Each story is a delicate collision: between family, friends, cultures, generations. Frances Hwang chronicles believable characters in complex situations; her sly prose weaves turbulent emotions underneath a patina of decorum. Transparency is a remarkable collection that will engage a wide range of discerning readers.

These stories are moving (but not sentimental), deeply revealing, and gorgeously written. I loved the whole batch.

Very interesting book, it gives the reader information about the world of the impressionists in a new way. The photographs are a wonderful complement to the text. It is a pleasure reading it.

Photographer Neil Folberg has gotten into the minds of the Impressionists to ask: If they had today's color photographic processes, how would they have expressed themselves? Photography can be as much about light, color and mood as an oil painting. Folberg's images, and Lin Arison's words, present the world of Impressionists as no book ever has. There are scores of sumptuously illustrated books with reproductions of the Impressionists' work; this is most assuredly NOT another entrant in that category. Rather it's in a space by itself: a fresh take on the artists you thought you knew.

It's also worth taking a look at both Folberg's and Arison's other works as well.

In 2000, shaken by her husband's death, Lin Arison traveled through France with her granddaughter and discovered a new world of art with her skeptical teen relative. Thus began a personal journey and collaboration with photographer Neil Folberg to bring Impressionist works to new life, reflecting both her journey to discover the paintings and lives of the Impressionists and an effort to translate this inspiration to new young American artists. A memoir, travelogue, and art history thus blends under one cover to provide art libraries and general-interest holdings alike with a special, more modern approach to Impressionism than is usually provided.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a treasure. Aside from being a joy to look at, it is a pleasure to read. I am definitely putting this on my Christmas list. It is a new slant on the Impressionists with personal touches, new information about them and they become living and breathing people. The photgraphs are superb as well as being inventive. The book, paper, format, offer a beautiful presentation.

This is by far the most difinitive and best work I have ever seen on the subject of medieval history. Without it, the entire discipline would suffer, as it has for centuries up until the publication of this book. It makes books like Ermengaard of Narbonne pale and hide behind their little awards. Easy to read and highly enjoyable, I recommend everyone buy this book.

This is by far the most difinitive book on the subject of medieval history i have yet encountered. Easy to read and highly enjoyable, I recommend it to everyone in the entire world, whether or not they have any knowledge at all of medieval history. Without this book the discipline would be stuck in an intellectual dark age, as it had been for centuries up until this publication.

This book was truly stunning in its comprehensiveness and ease of reading. I was amazed and could not put it down until I had read it cover to cover. Unlike many books in its field, it focuses on important information, not convoluted thoughts like the use of bear paws. I recommend this book to everyone.

Having taken several courses on Medieval History, I find Daileader's book to be very insightful. It is amazing how similar his insights and conclusions are to those of my professors. I believe this work is truly a great addition to the field.

In this fine novel Jacqueline Pelham brings together a cast of characters who find themselves enfolded in a plot of intrigue and suspense set in the arena of Nazi-occupied France.

Drawing from her knowlege of the despair of a vanquished nation now under the heel of an arrogant conqueror, Pelham weaves a fabric of diverse circumstances that bring a shy young girl onto the stage of a massive plot to plunder the pricless art treasures of the homeland.

With tender precision the author creates a love story set in the scene of one of the most dramatic eras of the twentieth century.

Danielle Delacroiox, the stories heroine, finds herself under the domination of an SS colonel whose sinister motives paint a malevolent background to this tantalizing drama.

This is a story with an evolving plot that embraces the epic theater of the darkest years of World War II as seen through the lens of a cast of characters that portray the best and worst of the human experience.

The author's intimate knowledge of the mid-century art world coupled with her careful delineation of the life style of the upper echelons of French aristocracy paint a vivid fesco that captivates the audience with its authenticity.

Pelham, in her inimitable style, reminds us how unconquerable the individual soul can be and by deftly probing the minds of her characters she skillfully brings her story to a climax that embraces the extraordinary courage of the human spirit and leaves us spellbound from beginning to end.

UNDER THE ROSE by Jackie Pelham is a suspenseful multilayered tale set in France during World War II with chilling international intrique. As Danielle is compelled to catalog great art acquistions for the Nazis, she is secretly working with the resisitance and the man she has grown to love. But fate in the guise of those she both trusts and fears throws almost insurmountable obstacles in her path and it is uncertain if she can survive. Pelham's chracterization throughout the novel is rich and endearing. Her language in telling the story is marvelously gifted. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves to read as one they will not be able to leave unfinished.

Against the background of Nazi-occupied World WarII Paris, Jacqueline Pelham weaves an engrossing tale of intrigue, love,and courage.

Her characters are so alive that I felt chilled with fear for Danielle,the courageous young heroine who becomes a spy for France. The Nazi colonel who tries to seduce her is cold and menacing in his campaign to possess her and her family's fortune in art. Even secondary characters are finely drawn, with frailties and strengths that make them so real you'd recognize them anywhere.

The suspense that ends one chapter only builds in the next. The danger is unrelenting, a constant in the lives of Danielle, her enigmatic lover, and the father and friends she loves.I found myself deeply invested in hoping that there would be a happy outcome for them all.

This book is a great read. Save it for when you can devote long stretches of time to savoring its excitement, because you won't want to put it down.

Set in France during the darkest days of World War II, Under The Rose by Jacqueline Pelham is the riveting story of Danielle Delacroix, a female French aristocrat and her struggle to keep her body, her soul, and her family's artistic treasures safe from the ruthless plunder of the Nazis. Under The Rose is highly recommended as an intense and passionate saga fairly brimming with emotion, blood, betrayal, as one woman strives to preserve works of history and beauty.

First of all, my new engagement calendar arrived in pristine condition, very sturdy cover, heavier quality than I expected, with beautiful pages of Tuscany. The added treat was lovely sayings, recipes, and quotes throughout. The scenic photos carry one away to a glorious place. Pages also of great quality! I will love carrying this dreamy calendar around to sooth me during each and every day this year.

Wonderful, inspiring, soul lifting pictures.

Always one week and one picture open.

Lays flat.

This is a beautful calendar. Has lots of room to write on each date. If you loved her books you'll enjoy owning this too.

How wonderful to get yet another Tuscan diary from Frances Mayes- 2008.
I have been buying Under the Tuscan Sun diaries since 2000.
Come September I am checking on Amazon to see if it is available.
It is truly such a magic moment when it arrives in my postbox!- all those great pictures and words of wisdom and joy in life.
I have read/ own all Frances Mayes' books- imagine my delight when on a trip to Italy some years back I FOUND her villa--and took my own pics of this beautiful house!
The yearly diary is such an ongoing reminder of my travels in Tuscany and indeed of so many things Italian.

One of the most beautiful, complex works of art that remain with us from the middle ages, the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cloisters Museum in New York City are a priceless treasure. Their monograph on the tapestries is a beautifully produced, meticulously researched, and well-written overview of the techniques used to weave them, the selection of colors, the symbolism of the figures and flowers, and the possible meaning of the entire sequence. To this day, no one knows for certain for whom they were woven and what they truly signify. If you haven't had a chance to see these wondrous tapestries in person, consider putting them on your list of things to do before you die. If you have been fortunate enough to make a visit, this book will certainly increase your understanding and appreciation of this masterpiece. We are fortunate to have them, though they probably truly belong in France or Belgium.

I absolutely love the unicorn tapestries, and I fulfilled a childhood dream when i saw them at the Cluny museum in paris. The colors are vivid and beautiful and do justice to these awesome tapestries.

I recall seeing these tapestries for the first time as a teen, when my high school class made a bus trip to the Cloisters Museum--deigned as a medieval castle--in the uppermost park in Manhattan. As I recall, I was on crutches at the time. Through the shallow, spiral stairs tested my coordination, however, the fabulous textiles, rich in color and mythology, completely distracted me from my injury.

I've been back a few times over the years to see these priceless treasures, and each time, they have induced silent awe.

Margaret Freeman's volume provides a great record of the collection, including fine pictorial details, and scholarly (but engrossing) explanations of the tapestry themes and motifs.

This is an art book you'll be happy to have.

If you can't see these gorgeous tapestries in person, ***this book is a great way to view them up-close. Each tapestry, circa 1500, is shown in full (in color!) and in detail. All of the brilliant colors are from three dyes: madder (red), woad (blue), and weld (yellow). The hunt of the unicorn theme is possibly an allegory for love, marriage, even the death of Jesus Christ.

These now-famous works of art apparently belonged to François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, in the late 1600s. They were taken from his chateau and later used by peasants to protect their food from frosts. Fortunately, they were recovered in 1850 and later (1922) purchased by John D. Rockefeller who gave them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I was fortunate enough to see them last October. My fiancé and I made the trek from Times Square, via subway, to Fort Tryon Park, where The Cloisters are peacefully nestled. We crawled from the sub-terrain and entered the lush, fragrant park. It's a bit of a walk up to the museum, but the garden atmosphere astonished us. We couldn't believe we were in NY! The Cloisters were quiet and uncrowded in the morning. There's a center court complete with bubbling fountains and plants from the Medieval era that is open to the sky. We crossed this courtyard and entered into the small room where the tapestries occupy their personal space. I will never forget the experience. They took my breath away.

I collect art books and am particularly fond of Vincent Van Gogh, the fabulous Dutch artist of the 19th Century, who is probably the most popular of all artists--EVER (certainly my favorite!!). I have taken several art history courses with Van Gogh as subject, seen all the "Van Gogh" films, etc. I own many books about Van Gogh including a few I picked up in the Netherlands. What could anyone else possibly say about him that I have not already heard? The answer as it turns out is plenty. I had not yet read Debora Silverman's VAN GOGH AND GAUGUIN: THE SEARCH FOR SACRED ART.

Silverman has taken a different tact in writing about the artists Van Gogh and Gauguin--who will linked together through eternity if for no other reason than the episode in Arles with Van Gogh's "earlobe" (not ear). Like many, I have wondered just why these two men behaved so antagonistically towards each other. I have heard about personality conflicts, differing life styles, and mental illness, but somehow these reasons have never resonated with me. The explanation for the Gauguin-Van Gogh conflict according to Silverman was owing to nothing less than their conflicting interpretations of the meaning of life.

Gauguin was raised Roman Catholic and attended a Catholic boys school where he was taught the theology of bearing one's cross and dying to the material world to attain the transcendent good--paradise. Van Gogh came from a humanistic Dutch Reformed background in an era when this church was focused on the need for a consolatary religion in the face of EVOLUTION. Their conflict seems to have been a feud of a particular kind as both men attempted to understand the eternal truths, grapple with the new reality of science, and abandon their relgious upbringings.

While Gauguin's paintings reflect the transcendent as "otherworldly" and point the way for later abstract symbolists such as Picasso, Van Gogh's works are tied to the sacred presence of the eternal in the natural world. In painting after painting, Gauguin flattens the canvas, uses paint sparingly and depicts scenes of misery and suffering, sin and redemption. On the other hand, Van Gogh focuses on the sacred nature of work and rural life--threshing, weaving, milking, and rocking the baby by the fireplace. Where Gauguin creates angels strugging with men and flying cows, Van Gogh paints wheat fields and grape vineyards filled with sowers, thrashers, and harvesters. Where Gauguin sees classical elements such as the three muses and a Greek temple and admires Delacroix, Van Gogh sees bridges, sailboats, looms, and walls, and adores Millet.

During their short time together in Arles, Gauguin sought to influence Van Gogh--to have him paint from memory, flatten surfaces, and introduce overt religious symbolism into his work. Van Gogh did partially adapt some of Gauguin's techniques such as cloisonism (black outlines separating flat patches of color), but while Gauguin continued to tackle the sinful ways of man (and apparently sin quite heavily when he wasn't working) Van Gogh adapted Zenlike techniques reminiscent of Hiroshege and other Japanese artists who saw no boundary between the divine and natural worlds.

Silverman writes beautifully (I read every word..this is a powerful book) and there are hundreds of drop-dead beautiful facsimilies of the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. I think Silverman favors Van Gogh, and I do too so I was not disappointed (though she covers Gauguin quite well). She spends a great deal of time on style and technique, which I also liked very much. She is not merely pointing out technical differences, however, she is showing how their respective techniques were tied to their philosophical outlooks. Several "sets" of paintings by both men are discussed in detail--Van Gogh's Langlois bridge paintings (all nine are reproduced) and the Berceuse paintings (she who rocks the cradle); as well as Gauguin's repeated use elements such as the women of Brittany, cows, angels, and "the dead."

This is a wonderful book and if you love Van Gogh and want to better understand his painterly ways, you must have it. It will enrich your life.

Although a non-scholar, I have a keen interest in art history and thus was delighted to receive a copy of this book as a holiday gift from my daughter. The subtitle indicates Silverman's thematic objective: To examine "the search for sacred art." She provides her reader with a brilliantly written narrative during which she shares a wealth of information about Van Gogh and Gauguin, of course, in combination with hundreds of illustrations (many in full-color) which are skillfully correlated with the text. Here is how the material is organized:

Part One: Toward Collaboration [two "Self-Portraits"]

Part Two: Peasant Subjects and Sacred Forms [eg Van Gogh's "Sower" and Gauguin's "Vision After the Sermon"]

Part Three: Catholic Idealism and Dutch Reformed Realism

Part Four: Collaboration in Arles

Part Five: Theologies of Art After Arles

Part Six: Modernist Catechism and Sacred Realism

Silverman carefully identifies and then eloquently explores all manner of comparisons and contrasts between the lives and art of Van Gogh and Gauguin within an historical, theological, and anthropological context. Hers is a magnificent achievement.

"Christ alone -- of all the philosophers, Magi, etc. -- has affirmed, as a principal certainty, eternal life, the infinity of time, the nothingness of death, the necessity and the raison d'etre of serenity and devotion. He lived serenely, as a greater artist than all other artists, despising marble and clay as well as color, working in living flesh. That is to say, this matchless artist, hardly to be conceived of by the obtuse instrument of our modern, nervous, stupefied brains, made neither statues nor pictures nor books; he loudly proclaimed that he made... living men, immortals. This is serious, especially because it is the truth." Vincent van Gogh wrote these words in a long letter to Emile Bernard, his close friend and painter. He wrote them in Arles, where was working particularly hard, at the end of June 1888. The greatest artistic achievements where still before him, as well as unexpected illness and pity death. Debora Silverman exhibits to us another great event of Vincent's life: short and vehement artistic friendship with Paul Gaugain, that inspired Vincent much and may be even more costed. They knew and write each other for some years. They spent together same weeks in Arles working and fiercely discussing many artistic topics. Unexpectedly, in a while of serious depression Vincent decided to punish his comrade. With dark intentions in the mind he even picked up a razor. But his own illness won. Next day Gaugin found him laying unconscious, all in blood, with one ear cut. Silverman asks how possible was this strange and strangely fruitful friendship. She explores complicated cultural and religious background of both the painters. "I was intrigued -- writes in the Introduction -- by how Gauguin may have assimilated from his seminary training certain mental habits and attitudes toward the visual that were profoundly discordant with those I had identified in van Gogh's formative period in his Dutch theological culture, and I suspected that these distinctive mentalities had implications for the form and content of their work". There have been no similar studies up now. Religious life of Vincent van Gogh have been explored only very recently by Tsukasha Kodera (Vincent van Gogh. Christianity versus nature), Katheleen Power Erickson (At Eternity's Gate), Cliff Edwards (Van Gogh and God) and others, but never in relation to the southern France Catholicism, in atmosphere of which Vincent spent his recent years. Catholic background of Gaugin himself is even less known. Their mutual cultural and religious interferences, and their own personal achievements of this field finally received an abundant and complete description grace to Silverman research.

a work of genius and a pleasure to read. this book is essential for any museumgoer and the general reader with any interest in either artist. revealing the mutual respect and support between two very different men, with outstanding illustrations and insightful prose. i cannot remember any art history book so erudite and approachable.

The story was so cute. It was neat to have the little girl share her story about her experience with grandpa. It is really nice to see such a simple story that brings a neat message of love and family. Good Job!

This delightful story reminded me of growing up next to a dairy farm as a child.

The story gives me a change to talk to my grandchildren about my memories as a child. I love this little book.

Grandmother

This book will make your young children laugh. A wonderful story about Grandpa Joe and the milk stool.